Ok, so that horrible sensation has begun, and most likely at the worst possible time, right? Believe it not, there is an explanation for this, stress, or fretting about an impending event are major triggers for the herpes virus. A work presentation, exams, cash worries, even a first date, are all things that can cause cold sore symptoms. Pressure and anxiety will lengthen the duration and healing time, so try not to fret too much.
The very first thing I would advise, is to go to get to the store and buy some lysine tablet supplements, preferably 1000 mg tablets, take three tablets daily at regular intervals as soon as you can. Lysine is an amino acid that kills the cellular envelope that the virus travels in, and will significantly decrease the duration of your outbreak. Once it has healed I would recommend taking one 1000 mg tablet daily to help avoid additional outbreaks.
In a previous post I have mentioned the benefits of something called sodium lauryl sulfate, which is found in most soaps and toothpastes. Sodium lauryl sulfate has undergone scientific tests, and has been demonstrated to kill the herpes virus on contact. I would go to the store and buy an everyday bar of soap and an ordinary white toothpaste that includes this compound. It will be listed as one of the ingredients.
If the cold sore is located on your lip, put an ice cube in a paper towel and rest it carefully on the affected area, keep doing this until the swelling begins to settle down. Then, apply a little toothpaste with a cotton bud to completely cover up the affected area and leave it to dry. If the virus has appeared somewhere on your face, lather the soap and massage carefully into the area with your fingertip, and leave it to dry. You may feel ridiculous, but the sodium lauryl sulphate in the toothpaste and the soap will penetrate your skin and inactivate the virus almost straight away. This method can be repeated as often as you like.
Remember that the virus is very contagious, so keep contact with the area to a minimum, and remember to clean your hands regularly, so the virus doesn't multiply to a new area of your face. If the fever blister starts to crust, it will always heal more rapidly if left alone to let nature take its course.